LCRA awards $41,700 grant to Goldthwaite VFD for station expansion
Addition will create an enclosed space to protect equipment and improve access to fire trucks
Dec. 5, 2025
LCRA and City of Goldthwaite representatives present a $41,700 grant to the Goldthwaite Volunteer Fire Department for a fire station expansion. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Grants program. Pictured, from left to right, are: J Ramirez, Cody Welch and Don Allen, firefighters; Kevin Nowell, deputy fire chief; Kent Schillings, firefighter; David Schwartz, fire chief; Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA Board member; Martha Leigh M. Whitten, LCRA Board vice chair; Nancy Eckert Yeary, LCRA Board member; Jett Johnson, Mills County judge; Robert E. “Rob” Lindsey III, Goldthwaite city manager; J Wilson, Goldthwaite mayor; Craig Sullivan, Mills County commissioner, Precinct 1; and John Palacio, LCRA Regional Affairs representative.
MILLS COUNTY, Texas – The Goldthwaite Volunteer Fire Department soon will expand its fire station to house additional vehicles and firefighting equipment, thanks to a $41,700 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority.
The community grant, along with $11,100 in matching funds from the department, will add about 1,650 square feet of enclosed space with a concrete pad and metal framing. The project will allow more vehicles and gear to be stored indoors, while clearing congested areas in the main station, improving access to fire trucks and creating room for future growth.
“We built our first station around 2003 and later went from four bays to ten as our fleet and responsibilities grew,” said David Schwartz, fire chief of the Goldthwaite VFD “Since then we’ve added trucks and a command unit and simply run out of room. Adding three bays will let us move smaller equipment out of the way, keep more assets indoors and give our crews better access to the trucks when seconds count. It’s an investment we hope will serve us well for the next 20 years.”
Call volumes have steadily increased over the past five years as the department’s role has expanded across its 748-square-mile service area. Goldthwaite VFD supports fire suppression and rescue operations, handles traffic control and vehicle accidents, carries vehicle extrication tools for crash responses and assists EMS. The department also provides mutual aid to the three other fire departments in Mills County.
“This project helps us organize and protect essential equipment,” Schwartz said. “It will improve response, create room to grow and make our station safer and more efficient. We’re grateful to our community for its ongoing support and to LCRA for helping make this expansion possible.”
This is one of 41 grants awarded recently through LCRA Community Grants. These grants are awarded twice a year as part of LCRA’s effort to give back to communities in its wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The City of Goldthwaite is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the Community Grants program.
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in January. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.
About LCRA
The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations.
Social Media